Cement basket



R. C. BAKER Novf 17, 1925.

CEMENT BASKET Filed May l, 1924 /N VE'NTGR. REI/BEN C. GAKER,

A T TURA/5K5.

lPatented Nov. 17, l1925..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEUR/EN C. BAKER, OF COALINGA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 BAKER CASING SHOE COMPANY, Av CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

CEMENT BASKET.

Application mea may 1, 1924. i serial No, 710,302.

"To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN C. BAKER, citizen of the United States, residing at Coalinga, county of Fresno, and State of California, have 'invented new and useful Improvements in Cement Baskets, of which the following is a s ecication.

This invention re ates to an appliance for sinking wells, such as oil, gas, or artesian wells, and particularly pertains to a cement basket for use in shutting off the wall at any point throughout the length of the casing.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide means which may be readily used 1n connection with the casing of a driven well and which will assist in creating a permanent barrier within the well shaft and around the casing to insure that surface materials and liquids in the casing may not gravitate to the lower end of the casing and enter the inside of the shaft, at

the same time providing means to permit gases within the shaft to escape through the shaft.

The present invention contemplates the use of a semi-collapsible basket structure which may be positioned around a string of 1 casing at any point in its length, and which will serve as a receptacle for holding concrete or other cementltlous material while it sets and forms a barrier around the casing, and furthermore embodying means for permitting the escape of gases from the shaft into the casing and then from the casingabove the ground.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation showing a portion of a casing string with the cement basket mounted ltherearound.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged viewI in central and vertical section through the portion of the casing string upon which the cement basket is mounted, and further showing details of the basket valve.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section through the basket structure as seen on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section .through the basket structure as seen on the ings, .10 indicates a string of casing. In some instances anouter casing wall 11 may be provided, and in that event the present invention has particular advantage as it permits the string of casing 10 to be blocked offby the cement barrier' at any point throughout its length irrespective of whether there is an exterior casing or not. The cement basket comprises a sleeve 12 having an upper threaded portion 13 receiving the exteriorly threaded end of the casing member 14. i

A fragile valve cage 15 is exteriorly threaded and positioned within the threaded bore of the sleeve 13 and at a point beneath the end of the length of cas*- ing 14. This valve cage forms a part of a valve structure having two functions, one to permit cementitious material to be forced outwardly through openings 16 in the sleeve 13, and the other to permit gases within the well shaft or Within the casing portion benea th the valve structure to be vented. The valve cage is formed with openings 17 in its side walls in register with anv annular recess 18 formed in the threaded face of the sleeve 13. The openings 16 are formed through the portion of the sleeve in which the annular recess occurs.

The top of the valve structure is formed with openings 19 through which cementitious material may be forced to the chamber 2O within the cage. A transverse member 21 separates openings 19 and provides a guide for the stem 22 of a valve 23. The valve 23 is of the tappet valve type and fits upwardly against the annular valve seat of openings 19. The valve is held in its closed pos1tion by a spring 23.

The stem 22 extends outwardly through a bore 24 of the cage which serves as a guide for the stem. Attention is directed to the fact thatthe stem has a longitudinally eX- tending erforation. vThis will permit gases to pass t rough the stem when the valve is closed and when they are of sufficient pressure to lift a ball valve 25 held on its seat at the top of the frame by a spring 26. This gas may pass in through a lower eX- tension 1'3 of the sleeve 13 by way of openings 27 formed inthe wall of the sleeve as .indicated m'ore clearly in Fig. 2 of the draw- In order to form a permanent barrier within the well shaft and around the easing string at the point occupied by the structure previously described, the lower sleeve extension is fitted with a plurality of 'longit-udinally extending yieldable arms 28.

ably support the canvas bag so that the.l

back will substantially fill the space between.`

the casing and the wall( ofthe well shaft.A

This bag acts as a receptacle for ceme'ntitious material pumped downwardly through the string of casing and outwardly into the canvas basket -through the openings 16 and 17.

In operation ofthe present invention the cement. basket structure may be interposed between the ends of'any two lengthsjof easing throughout a string 'df easing, and` with the idea in viewj of forming a barrier around the easingfand between it 'and the well shaft wallat a predetermined point. Thestring of casingis lowered into the shaft at which `time thel outwardly Haring springblades 1 2 8' will bear against the wall, of the casing Shaft.' When the string of easirg has -reached the-desired depth, cementitious material may be Aforced v'down the casings and will act to open the valve 23 a ainst the ,expanslon of spring 23. This will permit the cementitiousmaterial to pass in the chamberf` 20 and thereafterfbe forced outwardly Athrough-the openings 16 and 17 in the lower portions of the canvas bag 30.

' Thisbag' will gradpally fill and will eventually tend to overflow at its upper end as shown in' Fig. 1 of the drawing. The delivery of cementitious material may then be discontinued and the material held by the canvas bag may then be permitted to set. When this has been done a permanent and complete barrier will be formed between the casing andthe'wall of the shaft preventing surface materials or undesired liquids from worldng into the bottom of the shaft and passmg upwardly with the gases and liquids whlch 1t 1s desired to draw over the string of casing. f

Any casing head gas or fluid under exces-v s1ve pressure may be vented 'through the central passageway in the valve stem 22 and when the pressure has become sufficient to liftl the valve ball 25.

'After the cementitious material has hardened. the valve cage 15 may be'dem'olished by dropping a weight down the casing string so that the casing will be clear to permit the upward flow of fluids therein.

While I have shown the preferred form of lmy invention as now known to me, I wish it understood that various changes may be made in its construction without departing' from the spirit of theinvention as defined in the .appended claims.

Having thus described my inventlon,l what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a wellcasing Slis- ."posed in a shaft, of means for creating .a

surrounding barrier between the well cas- 'ing' and the shaft at a desired point, .com-

prising a valve structure disposed at a point along the length of the shaft, said valve structure having ports communicating with the exterior of the easing, and a check valve acting to permit the cementitious material to be forced. outwardly from -the easing through `the ports, and a supporting structure disposed around the easing at a point rbelow the ports whereby the eementitious material may be caused to accumulate in the space between the casing and the wall of the shaft' to form a permanent barrier within the shaft surrrounding the casing.

2. LIn combination with a string of casing disposed within a well shaft, means for creating a surrounding barrier between the casingand the shaft comprising a valve struct rc adapted to be interposed between length of casing, said structure being formed ith side port-s for permitting cementitious material to be forcedfrom withiny the casingjto the space within the shaft surrounding the casing and including valve means for preventing` the backfiow of the cementitious materialv into the casing, and means whereby fluidsunder pressure -within the portion of the casing below the valve may escape through the valve tb the upper casing.

3. In combination with a string of casing disposed within a well shaft, means for creating a surrounding barrier between the casing and the shaft, comprising a valve structure adapted to be interposed between lengths of casing, said material to be forced from within the casing to the space within the shaft Surrounding the casing and includ! 'a-nd the shaft, comprising a valve structure adaptedlto be interposed between lengths 0f casing, said structure' being loa) liu

fen

, ports'to support the 4cementitiousmaterial while it sets and forms a permanent barrier. 5. In combination with a string of casing disposed within a well shaft, means for cre` ating' a surrounding barrier between the c asing and the shaft comprising a valve structure adapted to be interposed between lengths of casing, said structure being. formed with side ports for permitting cementitious material to be forced from Within the casing to the space within the shaft surrounding the casing and including valve means for preventing the backfiow of the 4 cementitious material into the casing, and

means whereby fluids under pressure within the portion of the casing below the valve may escape through the valve to the upper casing, and means disposed around the casing for forming a dam between the casing wall and the wall of the shaft at a point below the valve ports to support the cementitious material while it sets and forms a permanent barrier.

6. In combination with a 'string of casing disposed-within a well shaft, means for creating a surrounding barrier between the casing and the shaft, comprising a valve st-ructure adapted to be interposed between lengths of casing, `said structure being formed with side ports for permitting cementitious material to be forced from within the casing to the space within the shaft surrounding the casing and including valve means for preventing the backfiow of the cementitious material into the casing, and yieldable means disposed around the casing for forming a dam between the casing wall and the wall of the shaft at a point below the valve ports to support the cementitious material while it sets and forms a permanent barrier. 7. In combination with a string of casin disposed within a well shaft, means for creating a surrounding barrier between the casing and the shaft, com rising a fra 'le valve structure adapted to be interposedietween lengths of casing, said structure being formed with side ports for permitting cementitious material to be forced from within the casing to the space within the shaft surrounding thecasing and including valve means for preventing' the backilow of the cementitious material into the casing, and yieldable means disposed around the casin for forming.- a dam between the casing wa and the wall 0f the shaft at a point below the valve ports to support the cementitious material while it sets and forms a permanent barrier.

8. In combination with a, string of oasin having ports, a valve ca e having a clos lower end, said cage havln side ports communicating with the ports 1n the casing, the upper end of said cage being formed with a passageway, a spring pressed valve normally closing saidassageway, said valve being adapted to be opened by cementitios material forced down the casing under pres" sure, said cementitious material passing through said passageway and said ports to form a barrier around said casing, a stem on said valve disposed longitudinally of the casing and projecting through the closed end of the cage, a passageway formed through said stem and valve, and a check valve 1n said passageway whereby iuids under pressure in the casing below the valve cage may escape through said passageway to the portion of the casing above the valve cage.

9. In combination with a string of casing disposed within a well shaft, an inverted frusto-conical receptacle circumbscribing the well casing and secured around its lower end to the well casing and adapted to receive cementitious material to form a barrier between the casing and the wall of the shaft, said receptacle comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending lexible arms secured at their lower ends to the well casing and Haring outwardly as they extend upwardly so as to engage the wall of the well shaft, and a lining carried by said arms to form a receptacle for receiving cementirtions materia REUBEN C. BAKER. 

